ELECTION GEELONGINDY.COM.AU
Meet the Brownbill ward candidates Sarah Mansfield
Jose Rodriguez
Melissa Cadwell
I’m a current Geelong councillor, a GP and a senior lecturer at Deakin University. I believe that local government should put caring for people and the environment at the heart of its decisions. In my first term, I worked with the community to push for action on climate change, a social and affordable housing strategy, safer cycling infrastructure including the Green Spine and fewer poker machines. If re-elected, my priorities will be: • stronger action on climate change and environmental protection; • improving public transport, cycling and walking options; • increasing affordable and social housing; •increasing local job opportunities and greater support for local business and arts.
Geelong has been my home for over 30 years. I arrived with my family who had fled a war-torn country in pursuit of a new life. Over the past decade, I have been vocal about my support for a design-led city. I proposed plans to overhaul the CBD’s ailing mall and petitioned to save the Geelong Cement Silos. I was motivated to stand as a councillor because I was greatly discouraged, and baffled, by the decision to tear up the Green Spine in Geelong’s CBD for a cost of $2 million. The state government had to intervene to stop the council from destroying the award-winning Green Spine. I believe Geelong has an exciting future; it will be clever, creative and courageous.
I’m a resident and ratepayer in St Albans Park where I grew up. It’s time people like us from the outer suburbs got a fair go for a change on council. Our current councillors only care about Geelong CBD and that’s not good enough. I’ll never vote to cut, privatise or contract out council jobs or the services they provide. I’ll oppose increased costs for critical services like kindergarten, childcare, leisure centres, homecare and meals on wheels. I’ll support projects providing good, secure local jobs, delivering real benefits for our community, like facilities upgrades for local sporting clubs.
Alex Csar
Gabriel Wenyika
Dean Hope
My family and I have lived within the ward for nine years. There is a perception amongst the people of Brownbill that City Hall cares only for central Geelong. Its councillors should represent the entire municipality. I will be that councillor. I want to see a strong network of protected cycling routes to encourage more people within the ward out of their cars. Council should have a clearer strategy for pet owners, such as properly built dog-friendly parks. I want buses to continue to be useful for all people by keeping them in Moorabool Street, and I want the Green Spine to not only survive but thrive and extend across the CBD.
I moved to Geelong from Zimbabwe in 2006 to study law and international relations at Deakin University. I am proud to call Geelong home. I serve as a board member of community outreach organisation OneCare Geelong and I volunteer for Red Frogs Australia. As a councillor I will: • seek to give voice to the concerns of the community as a whole; • encourage a multicultural viewpoint; • ensure that young people are represented in decision making; • increase the awareness of and expand hard waste collection to reduce the dumping of white goods and other hard waste; • seek to increase support for the arts and for local businesses • evoke strong action on climate change.
I have lived in Geelong West for the past 15 years and have a human resources background. I believe we need to take action to reduce unemployment and improve opportunities, reduce crime, and enhance economic development. We must support and protect our neighbourhoods and businesses. We can no longer tolerate a divided council; we need fresh eyes, new ideas, with better communication and collaboration between council, our neighbourhoods and businesses. Working to solve problems through a respectful, collaborative effort with a common-sense approach has been key to my success in life. We need to find ways to bring more business and job opportunities back to Geelong.
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10 GEELONG INDEPENDENT Friday, 2 October, 2020